"Holy shit Stefan! I got the job!" I jump into his arms as soon as he walks though the door, he spins me around, and it's the first time I'm happy since before we left Mystic Falls.

"Of course you did. You are going to be a great doctor Elena."

"I didn't think this would be so easy."

"Getting the job?"

"Leaving, starting fresh. Getting this job was some serious luck. I feel like it's too good to be true, like it shouldn't be this easy."

"Well it's not. Everything's happening the way it should happen. You've been given a chance to start over in the absence of the one who defined you."

"You sound like a fortune cookie."

"Maybe so, but it's true."

"Have you talked to him?"

"No, mom said he reminds her of Dad sometimes, all he really does is work and sleep, that he barely talks to anyone except...wait for it..."

"You can say it, Rose, of course."

"Nope."

"Nope?"

"It's Caroline."

"Care? Are you sure, she hasn't said anything when I've talked to her."

"Yep, she's over the moon he's finally being civil to someone at least. Mom said Care brought him home from the bar one night and offered to keep an eye on him, so she went up to bed and when she got up the next morning they were still awake laying in the living room talking."

"That's not normal Stefan."

"I know, but she said that's the only person he seems to really talk to. Even with Rose she said he's different."

"I wonder why Care hasn't told me."

"Maybe she's doing both of us a favor and looking out for Damon since we can't."

"Maybe. I know this is selfish but I'm so glad you're here Stefan."

"Me too."

"Care?"

"Yeah?"

"This benefit your doing, it's not just because your the best that Damon hired you, it's because your his friend. I remember Stefan telling me that you and Damon had gotten closer, I never brought it up because you didn't, but after the other day at the grill how you had his back I...I just wanted to say thank you. Damon didn't have Stefan or I, so I'm glad he had you."

"I have always known Damon loved you, but I never thought he was good enough for you. Especially after he slept with Rose, but this one night-"

"When you brought him home from the bar?"

"How did you know?"

"Lily told Stefan, she was so happy he was finally talking to someone, but anyway continue."

"I stopped by the grill after one of my events for some late night take out, Matt was about to call Lily when I walked in and asked if I could get Damon home, he had taken his keys, I didn't want to but I also didn't want to bother Lily and have her come into town so late. As usual he was being his jackass self and had me so pissed off by the time we pulled up to the boarding house, and before he got out I decided to give him a piece of my mind."

"You need to get over yourself Damon, this whole situation is your fault."

"What is your problem Blondie?"

"You are so stuck in your own self pity you can't see past it. You didn't just screw up your life Damon, you screwed up Elena's and Stefan's and mine. Elena literally ran away from you, and Stefan left to help her cause your such a jackass even he needed to get away from your self destruction, and me? I'm alone, Elena was the only family I had, and now all I'm left with is a weekly phone call, and Stefan, I loved him Damon, and I didn't even get to tell him. I don't feel bad for you, all I feel for you is sad, and hate."

"You don't think I know how bad I screwed up? It was colossal, and I hate myself for it. I hate my self. I don't have any self pity. I have self hatred. I have successfully turned into a worse version of my father. I'm alone and I deserve it."

"You still have Stefan, and your mother."

"Stefan and I barely talk, and my mother told me she's not going putting up with a replica of my father."

"She's just worried about you, she loves you."

"You don't have to try to make me feel better, you hate me remember?"

"Okay, that might have been a little harsh."

"Eh, I've been told worse."

"I know deep down you have regrets Damon, you loved Elena, that's the one thing I have always believed about you."

"She was the good in me, and that's gone now."

"Is it though Damon? All those years with Elena destroyed in months? I don't think so."

"Debatable."

"I was on the debate team, you should take that back or I'll have to prove you wrong."

"Ha!"

"I should go though, it's starting to snow pretty good."

"Why don't you stay?"

"I'm not sleeping with you Damon."

"Um, gross. I just don't want you to get into an accident, that's the last thing my conscience needs. Plus I need to hear more about your love for my brother."

"I really have to learn when to shut up."

"Oh, believe me, I saw that coming a mile away, you are not so subtle."

"You knew?"

"I'm not blind, and you just confirmed my suspicions."

"You've got enough rooms, so I guess I'll stay, it's not like I have anything to go home to. I'll grab my bag from the trunk."

"You keep an overnight bag with you?"

"You can never be too prepared Damon."

"Wow."

"Yeah, I knew how badly he hurt you, and I felt like a bad friend for not hating him, but I felt just as alone as he did."

"You understood him."

"Yeah, as strange as it is I got to know the Damon you always said existed and I liked him."

"There's nothing wrong with that. I wouldn't have been mad, I just wish you would have told me how you were feeling. You are my best friend Care."

"I know, I knew you needed that space though. But that's the past, and we're back, you're back and you can never leave me again."

"I won't. Promise."

"Good, but you need to go home and get ready for tonight."

"Can't I just skip it, fake sick?"

"No Stefan needs you here and so does Damon he just doesn't know it yet."

"Ugh, Care."

"Go."

"Fine."

Caroline's party goes off with out a hitch, the place looks spectacular, the turn out was even bigger than for some of the Mystic Falls events if she remembers correctly. Her and Stefan stick together throughout the night, and when they bump into old friends, it becomes awkward with the looks they give them. Mrs. Lockwood, ever so brazenly asks "How is poor Damon dealing with this?". She's had her fill an hour in. When Damon takes the stage like the powerhouse he had turned into the whole room becomes focused on him. She's grateful for a reprieve.

"Miss Forbes has really turned this charity ball into something you'd see only in New York. She is that good, can we all give her the round of applause she so greatly deserves? Thank you Caroline."

This is the most Damon he's been since she's been back, and his fondness of Caroline shines in the warmest smile she's seen him give anyone lately. She grabs a champagne flute off a tray before taking a seat at the table as he continues his speech.

"Once upon a time, I hated this law firm. I never wanted to be a part of it. I can practically hear the horrified gasp my mother probably made at that confession all the way across the room but it's true. When my dad died, I wanted no part of this. I wanted to show him I could be better than he ever expected, and for a while I became worse than even I though I could be. A dear friend reminded me that I wasn't the only person in the world that was suffering, but I didn't want to live up to anyone's expectations of me, so I didn't bother. Until I remembered that someone very wise once told me that it wasn't that I didn't want to, it was that I was afraid of failing to live up to their expectations."

He pauses and his eyes find hers, even in a crowded room such as this, he immediately finds her. This moment is his defining moment, it's written all over his face, he's finally proud of something he's done. She gives him her biggest smile and nods her head at him.

"So I decided to do better, to be better, and become the better man. That is why this company is what it is, because sometimes we need help, sometimes we need that extra push. And tonight this is about that. All the money from this benefit will be going towards helping minors who got mixed up in the wrong thing and need that help, or the guy who made one wrong choice and lost everything. Whether that's getting someone off the street into a shelter, defending them or getting them into counseling, or simply giving a warm meal. It's getting them what they need. So this benefit is for my newest endeavor, The Salvatore Center, my wonderful mother over there is going to help me run it, and we are going to remind anyone that needs reminding were not left behind, that they are not forgotten. That they matter. So I'm going to let Miss. Forbes take over now and start the auction. Remember, everything here was donated and one hundred percent of the proceeds go to The Salvatore Center."

The whole room gives Damon a standing ovation, and she quickly follows. She sees Stefan making his way towards her, and she quickly wipes away the tears that started to fall.

"Did you know about this?"

"No, how would I?"

"I thought maybe Caroline had told you."

"No."

"I need to go talk to my brother, you'll be okay for a few minutes?"

"Of course Stefan, go."

Within two minutes of Stefan walking away Elena eats her words when she see Rose walking towards her.

"Elena, hi."

"Hello."

"How are you?"

"Fine, not that it should matter to you."

"Can we please just talk for a minute?"

"Why?"

"Because I was your friend."

"Friend? Friends don't do what you did to me Rose." She grabs her bag off the table and gets up to go find Caroline when Rose grabs her hand.

"Elena, please, don't walk away."

"You want to talk? Let's talk; you slept with Damon full well knowing what happened, you knew I still loved him. I saw the way you looked at him, but then again every girl did, so I just ignored it. You should have walked away from him that day, you should have told him things would work out because you knew I was going to talk to him, but you didn't. You were my friend and I trusted you. What I got in return was my world ripped away from me. You did that Rose. He was the best thing for me."

"Funny Damon said you were the worst thing for him."

Before Elena can think about what she's doing she slaps Rose, harder than she even knew she was capable of. When Rose looks back at her holding her cheek she's got tears in her eyes, and she can't find it in her to care. She notices everyone around them is staring but she feels no sympathy for her, and she's got nothing left to say to her so she just walks away.

Stefan finds Damon outside the building sitting on some empty crates with a bottle of bourbon next to him.

"What do you want Stefan?"

"How did you know it was me?"

"You've been my brother my whole life. I can always feel your stare boring into me when you don't know how to approach me, you've done it since we were kids."

"You said brother."

"I have my moments, so you might as well take advantage of it while you can."

"Damon, I've never been so proud of you in my whole life."

"Gee thanks Stef."

"I'm sorry. About everything, about the business, about Elena, but most of all I'm sorry that I hurt you. Because I know I did, worse than you'll ever admit. I want to fix it Damon. I came back because I missed mom and you so much. We were best friends Damon, I tried to start over with a clean slate, to do something on my own, but it never felt right. We were a team Damon, I screwed that up, so I came back to fix it, and made everything worse. I keep trying but I can't get anywhere because I'm lost brother, I'm not doing so great at all."

"Why did it have to be Elena?"

"I always wanted something like you guys had, and then one day I just made a move, and I didn't think about it. I didn't think about the consequences."

"Sounds like something I'd do."

"Yeah, it does. I love her Damon, but you are my brother, that means more to me. Maybe it seemed like it didn't but it does."

"I'm probably going to regret this but you can start at the office anytime you like. Job's yours."

"Thanks."

"Um, Damon, Stefan?"

"What Blondie?"

"Elena just might have slapped Rose and ran out of here."